{product} provides different support levels for different versions, which may include new features, bug fixes, or security patches.

## Support levels

There are four support levels:

- Active
- Critical
- End of life (EOL)
- Deprecated

### Active

Where N represents the latest minor version (e.g., 0.3, 0.4, etc.).

The current minor version (N) receives full support, including:
- New features and capabilities
- Bug fixes and regressions
- Security patches
- Quality-of-life improvements
- High confidence changes that are narrowly scoped

### Critical

The previous minor version (N-1) receives limited support:
- Critical security fixes
- Installation fixes
- No new features or general bug fixes
- Transitioned from Active when a newer minor version is released

### End of life (EOL)

Versions older than N-2 (N-2, N-3, etc.) receive no support:
- No new patch releases
- No bug fixes, including known bugs
- No security updates
- Users should upgrade to a supported version

### Deprecated

Versions that are no longer maintained:
- All versions prior to the first stable release
- Versions that have been explicitly deprecated
- No support or maintenance provided

## Version support policy

{product} follows an N-2 support policy for minor versions:

- **N (Current)**: Active support
- **N-1**: Critical support
- **N-2 and older**: End of Life

### Minor version support

Minor versions include new features and capabilities and are supported according to the N-2 policy. When we refer to a minor version, such as v0.3, we always mean its latest available patch release (v0.3.x).

### Patch releases

During the support window for each version:

- **Active Support**: Regular patch releases with bug fixes, regressions, and new features
- **Critical Support**: Security-only releases for critical fixes related to security and installation
- **End of Life**: No new patches released

## Recommendations

- **Stay Current**: We recommend upgrading to the latest minor version to receive full support and access to new features
- **Plan Upgrades**: Monitor the changelog for upcoming version changes and plan upgrades accordingly
- **Security**: Critical security fixes are only provided for Active and Critical support versions
- **Testing**: Test your applications with newer versions before upgrading in production

## Version compatibility

When upgrading between minor versions:

- Review the changelog for breaking changes
- Test your applications thoroughly
- Follow the upgrade guides provided in the documentation
- Consider the support timeline for your current version
